When all is said and done
by x.xOracles.Shadowx.x
Summary: After the steps of Baelor, Ned wakes to find he's not in Westeros any longer. Where he is, he's not quite sure, but he does know that for the people who'd harm his family, Winter is coming. - T for stuff. Lyanna shows up. Enjoy guys!


**AN****: This was mostly inspired by a truly amazing video on Youtube titled "Promise me [Game of Thrones|Rhaegar&Lyanna& Robert & Ned]" by melodyofafallentree. Seriously, Youtube it because it is beyond fucking amazing. I watched it at least a hundred times when I was writing an essay, and this somehow happened. Absolutely brilliant, even if you don't ship R+L=J. I do, however, which is why it completely blew my mind.**

**Not entirely sure how that translated into "Hey, let's write about Ned meeting up with his sister in the afterlife and throw in a wrench right at the end!", but it did. **

**Anyway, enough babbling from me. Enjoy, and forgive any errors. I had to write this without access to my books so I might have fudged a few things. **

**Disclaimer: I own nothing except the laptop I type this on, and the books that showed me into this wonderful world created by G.R.R. Martin. **

When Ned opened his eyes and saw a bright blue sky hanging over his head and green grass stretching for miles around him, he knew he wasn't in King's Landing. He sat up, feeling the cool grass under his hands as he looked around. There wasn't a homestead or keep within eyesight and Ned stood up slowly. The first thing he noticed was that his head was firmly attached to his shoulders. He also noted that the aches he'd grown used to over the years since Robert's Rebellion – The pain in his fingers from broken bones, the pain in his knee from Jaime Lannister's guard, the scars that littered his chest from the fight with Ser Arthur Dayne – were gone. He felt as whole and solid as he had the day Brandon and their father rode out of Winterfell to King's Landing, and that alone was cause for concern.

'What in seven hells is going on here?', Ned wondered as he looked around. He looked down and saw that the scars that'd covered him, the same scars that Cat flinched away from when they were first married, were gone. The dirt and blood ridden clothes he'd worn in the Black Dungeons were gone, replaced with a shirt and breeches made of clean cotton. His feet were bare and he took a tentative step. He wasn't in Westeros, of that he was damn sure. Where he was, however, was a mystery.

As he stretched, wondering at how utterly painless he felt, he remembered. He remembered Sansa screaming for mercy as Payne approached him, he remembered telling Yoren where Arya was, hoping, praying to gods he didn't know still listened that his daughters would be safe after he was gone, and he remembered the momentary splash of panic on Cersei Lannister's face as she realized her bastard inbred son was about to destroy any chance she had of keeping the kingdom united. When her son took Ned's head, there would be war and she knew it. As honourable a man as he was, Ned hoped that knowledge kept her up at night.

As the Lord of Winterfell looked around, he heard the faint sound of water running nearby. Whether he was in some strange afterlife or this was the heaven that Cat's gods spoke of, Ned didn't know, but he knew Cersei had been right about one thing. He was a soldier, and his instincts were telling him to find water. Water was key to his survival, regardless of whether or not he was still alive, so he followed his ears for what felt like ages until he came upon a running river.

On the other side of the river was a tented pavilion, and when he saw who sat on a grey blanket under the tent, Ned nearly fell to his knees. He saw the face of the sister he'd loved so dearly in life smiling at him from across the river, and when she stood up and beckoned to him, Ned threw caution to the wind and forced himself across the river. Lyanna laughed when he pulled himself out of the river and met him at the shore, then threw her arms around her older brother's neck. Ned locked his arms around her and as Lyanna laughed and cried into his shoulder, Ned didn't realize he was crying until Lyanna looked up at him and brushed tears from his eyes.

"I was wondering when you'd come looking, Ned. I thought I'd have to wait here for ages.", Lyanna told him, sounding just as she had in life, full of vigour and life and Ned was stunned. He just stood and looked at her, observing every detail of her face.

"Lyanna, where are we?", was the only question he could find the voice for. Lyanna laughed.

"Come now, Ned. All those years as Lord Stark haven't dulled your wits. You know where we are."

"The afterlife.", Ned replied. Lyanna nodded, then sighed as Ned frowned.

"Get that expression off your face, brother. You frowned enough in life, your job is over.", Lyanna told him firmly.

Ned's frown stayed firmly in place. "Lyanna, Catelyn and the children, what about them? Who's going to protect them if not me?", Ned asked, giving her a pleading look. It was Lyanna's turn to sigh.

"Ned, your wife is a strong woman, and your children… Gods be good, you've got Benjen, father and I reincarnate in them, as well as you in every one of them. If anyone survives this wretched war, it'll be them.", Lyanna told him, though Ned could tell from her expression that she was lying to him. Even dead, he could read his sister's expression.

"Lyanna, tell me true. Has something happened to them?", Ned asked. There was nothing he could do now but look after them as well as he could, and try to move all seven hells to protect them. She sighed again.

"Robb's called your banners, Ned. He's declared war on the Lannisters for what they've done to you.", Lyanna told him bluntly. Even dead, Ned felt the words like a blow to the stomach. "Catelyn is with him but… He takes after Brandon, that boy of yours. Catelyn is trying to protect him but there are some things even a mother can't protect her children from."

Ned watched as the sorrow filled his sister's face, and touched her arm. "Lyanna…"

"How is he, Ned? Tell me. How is Jon?", Lyanna asked quietly, and the hearing that name from his dead sister's lips was enough to break whatever was left of Eddard Stark's battle torn heart.

"He's just like you, stubborn and sneaky, and loyal to his brothers and his sisters, and to me. He's joined the Watch with Benjen. He looks just like you.", Ned explained. Lyanna's face clouded over and Ned thought to himself that even though it'd meant someone would get something thrown at them when she was alive, he'd missed Lyanna's look of outrage.

"He shouldn't be there, Ned. He should be in King's Landing on that blasted throne Robert killed so many people for. He should be the king, not that inbred little monster Joffrey.", Lyanna told him sternly.

"I never told him the truth, Lyanna. Robert asked me to be the Hand and everything happened too quickly for me to find a moment away from Cat to tell him the whole story.", Ned explained. He'd lived for fifteen years with Catelyn thinking he'd dishonoured their marriage vows to protect his sister's boy, the son of the crown prince Rhaegar Targaryen, and even though he'd hated lying to Catelyn every day of their marriage, to honour the promise he made his sister, he'd have done it a thousand times over.

Lyanna's look softened and she touched the side of his face. "I know you didn't, and I'm grateful. You saved his life, Ned. I know it cost you so much but thank you for protecting him for us."

"Robert wouldn't have hurt him, Lyanna. He's a part of you.", Ned argued. They hadn't had time to have this discussion in the Tower. Lyanna was dying and the blood, gods there was so much _blood_ and those damned roses, and by the time Ned knew the truth, Lyanna and Rhaegar was dead, Robert was the new king, and he'd had to do some very quick thinking in order to explain why he was going to come back to Winterfell with a newborn boy who was every inch a Stark.

"And a part of Rhaegar, Ned. Don't try to tell me that his love for me meant more to Robert than his hatred for the Targaryens.", Lyanna laughed bitterly. "Even dead the man still can't get over it. You should have seen the way he carried on when he found out the truth – I though he was going to become apoplectic. Father and Jon Arryn needed to restrain him before he got into a fight with Rhaegar about it."

Ned started, hearing his about their father making him blink in surprise. "Robert and Father are here? And Jon Arryn?"

Lyanna nodded. "Father, Lord Arryn and Brandon, they were waiting for me when I got here. They weren't pleased with me, either. I don't think Brandon spoke to me for a week when he found out about Rhaegar and I.", she huffed.

For all he'd been through and the weight on his chest, Ned laughed. "I don't doubt it. Where are they now?"

"They're waiting for us. I told them I wanted to meet you first. Had to threaten to kill Robert all over again if he tried to come with me. He was rightfully enraged when he found out his wife's bastard son killed you – I half expected him to try to find a way to go back and get revenge. And whatever you do, don't mention Jaime Lannister to him. He's already broken three good vases because of that.", Lyanna explained with a roll of her eyes, then looped her arm through Ned's and led him to the pavilion.

"And Rhaegar? Where is he?", Ned asked.

"Over there. He wants to talk to you once you've caught up with father and Brandon.", Lyanna said, then jutted her chin out in the direction ahead of the pavilion. A great tent of dark Targaryen red and black billowed in the breeze and if Ned strained his ears he could hear the chords of a harp. "And in the tent beside him, that's Jon Arryn. He can't wait to see you. In the one next to that is Father's tent, and beside his is Brandon's. They're both waiting for me to bring you back."

Ned looked at the billowing standards, the Targaryen dragon flying next to the Arryn moon and the Stark direwolf, and amidst the silver and red was a yellow banner showing the stag, and Ned smiled. "They've actually let Robert be in such close quarters with Rhaegar?"

"As long as I'm nearby, he's actually quite docile. He doesn't like talking about Rhaegar and I though, doesn't like it being mentioned if it can be helped.", Lyanna replied.

"Does everyone know about Jon?", Ned asked as the two walked towards the tents.

"They do.", she said with a nod. "Father and Brandon were furious. Thank the Gods there are no swords here or Brandon would have run Rhaegar through. Lord Arryn said he was honoured you'd named my son after him, he just wished it hadn't happened in such hard circumstances. Father's been watching you while you were the Hand, by the way. He and Brandon think you should have kept choking Littlefinger."

Ned chuckled. "Brandon would have killed him for looking at Cat, and bringing her to a brothel of all places. He nearly did. He always had the worse temper."

Lyanna seemed to know where his thoughts were straying – That Catelyn had gotten the second son as a consolation prize after Aerys Targaryen killed Brandon, and that she'd gotten less than she was promised. She clutched his arm tighter as they walked across the grass. "Stop it, Ned. Brandon wouldn't have kept the kind of promise you did. He wouldn't have lied to protect my son. Catelyn got the better end of that deal, I promise you."

"You think so?", Ned sighed.

"I know so. She'd have to be a stupid woman to think of my brother as a poor substitute.", Lyanna told him firmly, her voice certain. "She gave the north five strong wolves to protect it, and in time they will."

"I wish I could be there. They'll need me, Arya and Sansa. Bran is still recovering, and Rickon is only a child. And with Robb off to war and Jon on the Wall, they're left on their own.", Ned said in concern. His children needed him and he couldn't be there to protect them, to teach them what it meant to be a Stark of Winterfell.

"Your part in their story is over, brother.", Lyanna told him softly, but she bit her lip in worry as she looked towards the large Stark tent. "They'll always remember you but they've got to grow without you now. I've seen your daughters, Ned. Arya and Sansa are beautiful, and Bran and Rickon will grow to be as strong as you."

"Where are they? Are they safe?", Ned asked. Lyanna pursed her lips. "Lyanna, at least tell me that."

"Arya is in the company of Ben's brother Yoren, and compared to Sansa, she's as safe as a Stark child can be right now.", Lyanna sighed. She looked at Ned and there was sorrow on her face. "Sansa is trapped in King's Landing, Ned, with that beast Joffrey and his whore of a mother."

"Robb will save her. Cat won't let our children be harmed." It was the only solace Ned had, that his wife was at the side of his eldest. Gods willing, she could keep him safe and eventually get their daughters back safely.

Lyanna said nothing to that, she just held his arm loosely, and that caused a great chill to tear up Ned's back. "Lyanna-"

"Ned!", another voice called suddenly and Ned saw Robert Baratheon run towards him. It stunned him a little that Robert _could_ run, and Ned noticed that the years and the wine that'd made Robert so fat had been taken away, leaving the warrior Ned had grown up knowing as his brother. Robert threw both arms around Ned when he came to a stop, and Lyanna just huffed in annoyance as Ned grasped his best friend's arms. "Gods, look at you! I don't think I've seen you smile like that since the day you met your oldest boy."

"Robert. You've been behaving yourself up here, I take it?", Ned laughed, an arm around his best friend's shoulders.

"Yes, yes. I've no choice, have I, with your sister and Jon Arryn and your father here to keep me in line? Ned, your father and your brother, they're both waiting for you, but this stubborn she-wolf of a sister of yours insisted she met you first.", Robert explained and Lyanna stuck her tongue out at him but said nothing. It was all so reminiscent of the past that Ned couldn't help but laugh.

"Well, we couldn't keep you in line in life, we've got to give it a good try in death, don't we?", a solemn voice said and Ned froze where he stood. Robert stayed by his side, an uncertain look on his face, while Lyanna touched his back silently and Ned twisted to find the lined face of his father, Rickard Stark, looking at him. His father looked like he had the day he'd ridden south, the same clothing Ned and Robert wore on his own shoulders, and great warrior that he was, Ned felt tears rush to fill his eyes. He stayed still though, he didn't rush to his father like he had Lyanna. He loved his father, true enough, but his father was from a different time, a time when men were hard warriors, where showing affection outside of the home was unspeakable.

Ned knew that and it was part of why he kept so much of himself in in his younger years. Marrying Cat and raising their children and Jon had changed that. He'd grown up showing affection to his children because he found that he couldn't be detached to them. His was a different world that his father's had been, and Rickard Stark had raised his children with the memories of wars where his brothers died and he'd not known obvious affection from his own father. Ned and Catelyn hadn't raised their children like that, and Ned knew that if it'd been his children being greeted by him, the first thing any of them would have done was launch themselves into his arms and hug him.

"Father.", Ned greeted, noticing his older brother Brandon standing by the Stark pavilion. From a distance Ned couldn't be sure, but there was a look of foreboding on his brother's face. It gave Ned pause and he hoped and prayed to any god who would hear it that nothing had happened to his children or his wife.

"Ned." His father looked at him with a blank expression, an unreadable one. The one that'd made Rickard Stark one of the most feared and respected Lords in the North. It was that look that'd made his father such an imposing figure when he and his siblings were young. Before Ned could move or think or decide what to do, his father pulled him into an embrace. Ned stood stock still before his brought his arms up behind his father. "You look well, but I'd hoped not to see you again for a very long time."

Which, Ned knew, was his father's way of saying he was sorry Ned had been killed so young. Ned knew the language of men like his father, he'd grown up around it and tried to emulate it as often as possible. Lyanna just rolled her eyes and Robert hung his head in shame in silence beside him.

"Father, can't you just _tell_ Ned that you've missed him?", Lyanna asked, and both Ned and Rickard laughed. Lyanna was always the more passionate one, a change from the stoicism of the Starks.

"It's alright, Lyanna.", Ned assured her, taking his sister's hand in his own. Gods he'd missed her, he'd missed all of them. Ned looked at his father, and he wasn't sure what told him but something in his father's face told him that something was wrong. "Father, Lyanna said she was bringing me to you. I'd not thought we'd be meeting you here."

"Aye, Ned, but something's happened.", Rickard said gravely. Ned's thoughts, usually filled with strategy and battle plans, devolved into little more than a litany of, '_Please not my children, please not Cat, please not Jon, please not them, not them, not them. Take me, do what you want with me, just not them, not my family._'. He felt Lyanna rest her forehead against his shoulder blade and he firmly ignored the tears he felt soak through the shirt.

"I'm so sorry, Ned.", Robert told him, and Ned looked at his best friend. There was a look of utter pain on his face as he said it, and something dropped painfully into Ned's stomach.

"What's happened?", Ned asked, not aware that he was clutching Lyanna's hand as though his life depended on it. "Father, Robert, what's happened?"

"Come with me, my son.", Rickard told him and Ned let himself be led to the pavilion bearing the huge Stark sigil. It looked like the direwolf was mocking him as he passed under it, and Lyanna pulled back a heavy grey curtain. He saw his father come to a halt by Brandon, who stood next to a stool. Red hair and blue eyes – _Tully_, a part of him knew - looked up at him and when Ned saw the direwolf he'd trusted his son's life to, Ned felt his knees give out from pure, painful shock. Only Lyanna's hand on his back and Robert holding him by the arm kept him from falling to the floor.

"No. Oh Gods, please no.", Ned gasped as a boy of sixteen flew into his arms. Ned couldn't stop the tears as he held his son to him, and he saw the grey wolf sit next to his master, his ears drooping.

"Father." Tully eyes were filling with tears and Ned just held his son to him. Ned could smell the blood that'd soaked into his son's hair and skin and felt sick. "They killed them all. Mother, and the Umbers and everyone. Father, they killed everyone because of me."

The tent was silent. Rage. Complete, unbridled, consuming rage filled Eddard Stark's chest. He hadn't felt like this since he found out that his sister had been taken and his father and his brother had been murdered. He inhaled and exhaled, and it didn't help.

"Hush now, my boy. You're safe, Robb. We'll find your mother, and I swear to you, whoever did this, they will pay.", Ned swore, and he hoped Robb couldn't tell that he was shaking.

Ned looked over his son's head to where his namesake stood, and there was untold fury burning on Robert's face. Lyanna was nowhere in sight but he could hear her screaming in anger and anguish over having to meet her nephew like this, and he heard a voice he knew as Rhaegar's trying to calm her. Brandon's arms were crossed over his chest and his Stark eyes made it look like he wanted to rip the walls down of wherever they were and find whoever had done this to his nephew. Rickard's eyes were the only ones that had accepted what had happened and through the cold fury, there was sorrow.

"The North will remember this, Robb, and whoever did this will _pay_." If he had to tear the heavens and all seven of the hells apart, they would pay.

**AN: Writing that last bit _broke my goddamn heart. _I AM SO SORRY, NED! I love you, and I love Robb! If I had my way, you'd both be alive and nothing would suck and Cersei and Joffrey's heads would be rotting on spikes because _I hate them SO MUCH!_ **

**So yeah. That's it. I need to go do my work now. Lemme know what you think, loves!  
**

**Much love, and thanks for reading!  
****Oracle. (L) **


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